Stevens and Stevens. Like Father, Like Son?

Just in case anyone wasn’t sure, here’s Harry Reid’s take last night, on convicted felon Ted Stevens’ chances of surviving in the Senate should he be re-elected.

“He’s been convicted of seven felonies,” Reid said on CNN’s “Late Edition.” “He’s not going to be in the Senate.”

The majority leader was a bit more gentle about Stevens’s close friend, Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye (D), who campaigned for the Republican in Alaska during the time-consuming trial and will soon assume the chairmanship of the powerful Appropriations Committee after West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd announced Friday he would be stepping aside.

“I just said Senator Inouye is wrong,” Reid said. “All the Republicans, John Ensign [Nev.], head of the Republican senatorial campaign committee, Republican leader [Mitch] McConnell [Ky.] and a long list of people said that he’s going to be kicked out of the Senate. Of course he is. He is not going to survive.”

(Tangent: So Senator Inouye who is 84 years old, is trying to help Ted Stevens who is 84 years old, keep his job. And he is also replacing Robert Byrd who will turn 91 next week, as the Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Can anyone say “Term Limits?!?”)

Not sounding too good for Uncle Ted. I wonder if he’s secretly hoping to lose, so that he doesn’t have to face the humiliation of expulsion. What a way to end a career of four decades in the Senate. Ouch.

There’s another thing that nobody seems to be talking about much. This may not be the only trouble in Ted Stevens’ future. There’s a whole lot of unanswered questions, and ongoing investigation into some dealings with Ted, and his son, former State Senate President Ben Stevens.

Back in September of 2007, while local talk radio personality Dan Fagan was talking about the legal problems of the Stevenses, Ben was listening in. And Ben decided to call the radio station. Now, keep in mind that Ben Stevens had his Senate office raided by the FBI back in 2006.

Ben Stevens is under investigation by the FBI, the IRS and the the National Marine Fisheries Service, but maintained his innocence and called this whole investigation a “feeding frenzy” and a “blood bath.” The show’s host, Dan Fagan asked him about the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board, where Stevens and his father’s former top legislative aide, Trevor McCabe, served together while simultaneously accepting consulting fees from the very companies they awarded federal grants. The grants themselves, of course, came from Ben’s dad.

“I didn’t receive anything [while on the board],” Stevens told Fagan. “I’ve got a 30-year relationship with the fishing business. I’ve been working for many companies and many entities and some of that overlapped, but it didn’t have anything to do with what happened on that board.”

Unfortunately for Ben, the facts don’t support his story. Stevens and McCabe founded their fishing consulting company in the last week of 2002, immediately before the marketing board started accepting applications for federal grants. It’s unclear how much money the duo raked in running the company, Advance North, but Stevens listed accepting $775,435 from nine fishing companies on his public disclosure forms between 2001 and 2005.

And how did Stevens and McCabe get these nice seats? The elder Stevens created the marketing board and funded it with $29 million, but Ben claims nepotism played no part in his getting the job of chairman.

“My father didn’t appoint me to the board, Dan,” Stevens said on the radio. “I was appointed to the board by the governor and confirmed by the Secretary of Commerce. The board members elected me as the chairman, not my father.”

He forgot to mention who submitted his name for nomination — that would be his dad.

And yes, Alaskans know all about this one too. They do seem to harbor fonder feelings for Stevens the Elder than they do toward Stevens the Lesser, who stepped down from his State Senate seat to…..wait for it…..spend more time with his family. It was almost universally believed that Ben Stevens would be convicted first. When people heard the news, they kept saying, “Ted? Are you sure it’s not Ben? It’s TED?!?”

So this whole “Failure to disclose gifts on Senate Disclosure Forms” may only be the tip of the iceberg. The FBI works in mysterious ways. Now that the election is (almost) over, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to hear from them again.

144 responses

New thread and the name of George’s favorite book is “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”

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Jamie, Floridian in France(05:59:11) :

Wow but I won’t say it!

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Whabs, Seattle, WA.(06:00:25) :

It won’t stop

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Jamie, Floridian in France(06:04:12) :

“Not sounding too good for Uncle Ted. I wonder if he’s secretly hoping to lose, so that he doesn’t have to face the humiliation of expulsion. What a way to end a career of four decades in the Senate. Ouch.”

What’s the old saying about get going while the going is good, or something about leaving while your are still up in the polls?

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Shikago aka Chief Shikago(06:06:07) :

Oh geez…

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Whabs, Seattle, WA.(06:09:08) :

Osama just announced a new attack larger than 9/11 is eminent. ABC just broke it.

here we go again.

And I have to go to work now.

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Grammy in PA(06:15:57) :

Whabs, Seattle, WA. (06:09:08) :

Osama just announced a new attack larger than 9/11 is eminent. ABC just broke it.

*****

Making G Dub’s wish come true – one final act of terrorism before he leaves office . . .

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Jamie, Floridian in France(06:18:47) :

Whabs, Seattle, WA. (06:09:08) :

Osama just announced a new attack larger than 9/11 is eminent. ABC just broke it.

I don’t see this anywhere and they are not talking about it on CNN International

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Obamama(06:19:07) :

Osama just announced a new attack larger than 9/11 is eminent. ABC just broke it.

********

I can’t find anything about this online. ABC nor CNN or NBC are mentioning this on their on-line web sites.

AKM, thanks to you I have learned so much. You gov had it wrong when they used the term “Obama came from a crooked Chicago political machine”. I think she meant to say “I am the product of the most crooked political machine in America”. Jesus, these people in Alaska make our city council look like a Cub Scout pack.

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Bear Woman(06:26:59) :

Osama is a more serious topic….. I still think GWB and Repugs are looking for a way to avoid his stepping down. This is their playing card…. Can’t hand over the reins in the middle of a crisis, therefore GWB suspends the Constitution and stays on. Anyone who opposes this is unAmerican and he finishes his job of leaving this Country totally in tatters….

Sorry, this is just the pessimist and fear coming out in me.

Regarding Ben, when will he be indicted? Why hasn’t he? It’s pretty clear from the invoices that Ben was billing VECO and Bill Allen for work while he was a legislator and during the time of legislative sessions. This IS against the law!

Shikago – it is rather ironic that your great city has such a bad name for politics, when you consider Alaska. They came late to the American political banquet, but they sure are making up for it with the feeding frenzy of their crooked politicians.

But this is why we can’t get over our morning mudflats fix. There’s just so much left to uncover.

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0whole1(06:28:05) :

Re: Osama saying stuff:
There was some talk over the last couple of days, perhaps on HuffPost, re: terrorists planning high-casualty attacks in England.

Couple of things:

1) Let’s not trade any more freedoms away if anything actually is made of this, shall we?
2) Wonder why the statement now and not pre-election? Paranoid answer: stir up US crazies enough to a) interrupt normal transfer of power or b) cause some group here to “take matters into their own hands”.

I saw “Goodnight and Good Luck” about Murrow and McCarthy over the weekend. I recommend it to the readers here, if they haven’t seen it. Responsible civic action in times of national paranoia and threat, and all that.

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Proud Community OrganizerWA(06:29:15) :

Wow it seems Ben has been learning at Daddy’s knee. The real family business? I agree there should be term limits or at the very least a mandatory retirement age for politicians. This would end dynasty style governing IMHO.

I am reading here Osama is threatening us again. When is he not threatening us? Hubby is worried ole George will try the martial law crap too. I think that would be a very bad move.

If JM really knows where and how to get Osama then he is a traitor to his country if he will not divulge what he supposedly knows. Would a real “war hero” let his country be attacked if he had knowledge of the attack? No. So his blustering is ridiculous at best and criminal at the very worst.

Drives me crazy!

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Shikago aka Chief Shikago(06:33:03) :

Sir Paul McCartney to play ‘Michelle’ at innagural. I am so excited. Love PM.

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Grammy in PA(06:35:09) :

Shikago

Have you seen PM in person?? I just love him and I love that he’s going to sing at the inaugural – how cool is that!!!

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Ripley in CT(06:35:11) :

Man, you have got some corrupt buttwipes up there. For such a sparsely populated area, there is enough *ick* to cover everyone. They don’t blend very well.

Can someone say “IRS”? Someone needs to put a dog on that trail of money. Same with SWWNBN. I suspect she thinks that just because she says “it’s over” that it actually is. What a rude awakening she’ll have. And I can’t wait to read about it right here!

“Keep the Change- Obama/biden 2012!”

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Jamie, Floridian in France(06:35:26) :

Well, we know how GWB won in 2004 – “We are a country at war and you shouldn’t change Presidents while we are at war!” Yup! Gotta stay on, though why would he even want to?

And it does go to prove over and over again that all those trillions of dollars invested in our country – securing borders, food supply, airports with correct training of security, coast guard and all the rest plus investing in poor countries, offering those potential terrorists an education, hospitals, food – instead of in this INSANE WAR, would be so much more likely to protect us.

Re: Osama saying stuff:
There was some talk over the last couple of days, perhaps on HuffPost, re: terrorists planning high-casualty attacks in England.

Couple of things:

1) Let’s not trade any more freedoms away if anything actually is made of this, shall we?

***********************************

At the risking of getting overdramatic (a very non-British thing to do), there is a reason for slogans like “Give me liberty or give me death.” Or, if you’re a Scot, “We shall drain oor dearest veins, but we shall be free.”

Since Bin Laden and his people pay close attention to what’s going on in the US and elsewhere, I’d guess that they might want to fan the flames up high as long as they have some support from the “undecided” Muslim countries. President-elect Obama made it clear that he intends to work with those countries… Bin Laden must see that as a direct threat to his influence, don’t you think?

*Sigh*.

“Rabid Right ‘n Religious” spreading hate and fear in the US. “Rabid Right ‘n Religious” spreading hate and fear in the Muslim world. Why can’t they all just grow up and – well, I dunno, maybe pull wings off of flies or something if they have to inflict harm on something or other?

*Double-sigh*.

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phoebe(06:50:21) :

Nine minute video of Palin at home. She blames the Bush admininstration for their lose. Very, very interesting.

Ira2, Your right on. More of a political move on Osamas part. He see`s his peeps diggin Obama too!

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Grammy in PA(07:03:25) :

Shikago aka Chief Shikago (06:56:19) :

My hubby and I flew out to Vegas over T-giving a few years ago specifically to see him at the MGM – what a show, I would again and again if I could!

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Jamie, Floridian in France(07:04:30) :

@ira2 :

My pleasure, but thank Marty!

@Marty –
and she’s fast becoming a nudnik…and talk about chutzpah!

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Jamie, Floridian in France(07:06:43) :

Osama and GWB/Cheney were those guys who wave their big sticks – literally and figuratively – around to see who’s the bigger man. Osama is going to find out that Obama is a real man.

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A Brit Abroad(07:07:06) :

What happens… I go shopping and you’re all partying and kvetchin’ n’ stuff when I get back. Best way to deal with OBL if you ask me… as Fort Watt so wisely reminded everyone: Fear is the enemy of freedom.

Obama will render Osama worthless. Too many people are falling in love with Obama and even in the middle east, many, many people including many Muslims are seeing a sign of hope..

Before long, people with hope will see the light and will rat the dog out and his tenure as chief terrorist will come to an end.

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mvngfwd(07:19:09) :

Good Morning all! Had to pay a little attention to my husband this weekend…but you were on our minds as we wore our Mudflats t-shirts all over Miami. I was wondering (apologize if already posted previously) what happened with the percentage mystery in AK? I told my left brain hubby about the anomaly and he said that it is virtually impossible for that to happen. Did that ever flesh out or is it still another Alaskan mystery?

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grumpy in Illinois(07:21:49) :

I hope someone can answer this…We know Ted Stevens will be removed from office if he wins. So, Isnt Ted Stevens only reason for running is to secure a Republican seat for his replacement?? Are those the rules? Or does there have to be another election. Do the state senators have a say who goes to Washington? Could Palin be vetoed on a decision for a replacement Senator?

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Jamie, Floridian in France(07:22:01) :

Stop draying me a kop, Marty!

@Brit Abroad – We’re just trying to wrap our heads around a possible attack on either the US or Britain and we are being awfully cavalier about it all.

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Shikago aka Chief Shikago(07:26:17) :

Grammy in PA (07:03:25) :

Shikago aka Chief Shikago (06:56:19) :

My hubby and I flew out to Vegas over T-giving a few years ago specifically to see him at the MGM – what a show, I would again and again if I could!
– – – – – –
Sir Paul, if he is ever on tour is a must see for me. I am keeping my fingers crossed maybe I’ll get really, really lucky and see him at the inaugural event, right, will never happen. But, I do have tickets for the Yes concert here in December.

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portland oregon native(07:28:43) :

Thanks for all the giggles this am. The YouTube video on the last thread was hysterical. How did we all miss that?
As for Osama…he’s as outmoded as Bush. Maybe they can go hang in the cave together soon?!
The tale of the princes coming down from the mountain top to tell us all how to live our lives is SO old style…(with credit and apologies to Ron Suskind). Let’s move into the future one step at a time.

…”My former colleague John McCain returns to the Senate to participate with a style that fits the time. What made my life tough at times as leader — his working on his own agenda, working almost obsessively across the aisle, putting principle before party and defending through passionate debate his conservative views — is what can make him an effective force in shaping the change that these elections spoke so loudly to.

And to the president-elect, what an opportunity! Times are tough, but the people have rallied to your call. You have the followers; you have the believers; even your loudest critics recognize that you are endowed with leadership talents that are precious.

To move the nation forward, keep listening to the American people. Be straight with them, and don’t over-promise. Fill the gaps where you lack experience with the brightest minds with the highest values. iReport.com: Share your message for Obama

And finally, though this may appear a bit self-serving, the doctor in me is shouting out not to forget an issue that has been driven to the background by the credit markets, job losses and threats overseas: health care.

Ever-rising health costs drive people to the ranks of uninsured. The 15 million hard-core uninsured need your immediate attention. There is nothing more intimate or more personal to any of us than the health of our loved ones. Don’t let it slip to the back burner…”

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Anonymous(07:38:49) :

To A Brit Abroad (07:07:06)

I kind of like Fort Watt. It makes me sound—–well, fortified or even well (no comma) fortified!

…”My former colleague John McCain returns to the Senate to participate with a style that fits the time. What made my life tough at times as leader — his working on his own agenda, working almost obsessively across the aisle, putting principle before party and defending through passionate debate his conservative views — is what can make him an effective force in shaping the change that these elections spoke so loudly to.

And to the president-elect, what an opportunity! Times are tough, but the people have rallied to your call. You have the followers; you have the believers; even your loudest critics recognize that you are endowed with leadership talents that are precious.

To move the nation forward, keep listening to the American people. Be straight with them, and don’t over-promise. Fill the gaps where you lack experience with the brightest minds with the highest values. iReport.com: Share your message for Obama

And finally, though this may appear a bit self-serving, the doctor in me is shouting out not to forget an issue that has been driven to the background by the credit markets, job losses and threats overseas: health care.

Ever-rising health costs drive people to the ranks of uninsured. The 15 million hard-core uninsured need your immediate attention. There is nothing more intimate or more personal to any of us than the health of our loved ones. Don’t let it slip to the back burner…”

Meanwhile, back in Alaska… in a way, I can understand the “last frontier” and “INside, not OUTside” mentality. And the resistance to having the rest of the country interfere with how things are done in Alaska. And that hand-outs and buddy deals are a way of life there. It’s not so very different from other places in the country, it just happens on a much bigger scale – and now, being out in the spotlight as it is, receives much more scrutiny.

But the thing is that life moves on, nothing stays the same, and if you look around, you can’t miss the fact that the heyday of out-of-the-way frontier pockets has been fizzling out for a while. Of course the people in those pockets rebel against that – you wouldn’t have wanted to listen to me a few years ago when the Californians started to take over my little mountain rancher town!

I mean, you live somewhere nice, it’s all about live and let live, people get along for the most part, they have their community worked out in a way that suits most and hampers few… a good place to live. Then people from elsewhere discover the beauty (both of the landscape and the way of life), and wouldn’t you know it, they start moving in and trying to change things to how it was where they moved from. They upset the town, the balance that makes it work, individuals, even the basics like the town’s water supply (which is a HUGE deal in a high desert setting where everybody is on a private well).

So, I understand the aversion to the Alaskan equivalent of that very well. But the fact remains that these things will keep happening and if leaving in disgust isn’t an option, the smartest thing to do is to adjust and join the bigger world that’s moving in. To work WITH that bigger world is what gives people some say in what changes are made and how it will affect them. To just fight it off blindly is a losing battle and it simply leaves said bigger world to decide on its own how to run things.

That’s theory, by the way. I adored living where I lived, but even if I could afford it, I wouldn’t move back. I don’t have the tolerance and patience it takes to work with the people I blame for messing up my little paradise. I left, and that’s that. But then again, it was just a little town and even though it felt like home more than any other place I ever lived at, it certainly was not my “home state” like Alaska is to Alaskans.

I dunno… just rambling again. Finding the Stevens thing understandable along with much of the rest of what goes on in Alaska, but wanting to point out that the mindset is antiquated and doomed to failure no matter how they try to hold on to the old ways.

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Road Runner(07:54:20) :

Off Topic,
but great jus the same. the Irish and the Japanese claiming Barack as their own.

The reason I took it seriously is I got from one of these family members whom we all love but who NEVER is the one to get in touch, you know the kind? So I figured it must be worth paying attention to. Silly me.

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Lacy Lady(08:16:16) :

I have a name for the Palins—-Siganes—–crotian for gyspys. Don’t know if it is spelled correctly–will have to ask my croatian family members.

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Augie(08:16:18) :

OT – Just heard that Joe Scarborough dropped the F-bomb on live television and then didn’t even realize he’d done it!

> deborah (08:10:32) :
> Just in from Minnesota Public Radio: Al Franken is now just 204 votes (down from 221) behind norm coleman as ballots continue to be counted in the MN senate race (and the recount hasn’t started yet).

Check out fivethirtyeight’s math on estimating the results of a Minnesota recount. Interesting from a math perspective at least, and — to me — reassuring that, as Franken decreases the Coleman lead pre-recount, his chances at winning keep climbing. I believe, given certain assumptions about the electorate and optical scanner-rejected ballots, that his chances at winning a recount were at 45% or so, before your public radio news.

I’m kvelling. I know a new Yiddish word to add to my vocabulary. Oy, will my mother be proud. (My grandfather supposedly spoke mostly Yiddish at home. My mother understands it all and peppers her speech with it. Me? I only know a bissel.)

Back to the Stevens family. Putzes, all of them. They wanted to be big machers. Nu, look where it got them.

(Running a spell check on this post was a hoot.)

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Grammy in PA(08:27:06) :

Lacy Lady (08:16:16) :

I have a name for the Palins—-Siganes—–crotian for gyspys. Don’t know if it is spelled correctly–will have to ask my croatian family members.

****

Funny . . . a friend of mine was suggesting Croatia as a place to move to if McLame had won – he said he visited there when he was working for the U.N. in Afghanistan (he is the chief of police in Wasilla that Palin fired so we’ve been having a great time bashing her) – anyway, he said Croatia is beautiful, lots of sun and good food and beverages!

@ ira2
Funny you should mention Californians moving in…. I live in the high desert part of CA, and you should hear the long-timers gripe about how people are moving in here from “down below” (the local name for the Los Angeles basin) and ruin things! I suppose that’s true for any area that sees significant growth. It always strikes me as ironic that so many people who move to a new area to get away from things or because they like the area’s unique features immediately try to make their new location more like the one they just left!

Water is a big issue here, as in many parts of the West, and it’s going to become one in many other places unless we get a handle on population growth and on global warming.

Well no matter what– I’M STILL REJOICING. I may have missed this on previous threads, but have you seen the new Obama video AMERICAN PRAYER?

I sobbed with joy all the way through it.

Joan Baez, Dave Stewart, Cyndi Lauper, Macy Gray, Whoopie, MLK. . .

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Forty Watt(08:36:05) :

@ A Brit Abroad (07:55:29) :

“And at this time in the morning too…..” You’re not in Scotland then? Or just a bit confused?

***********************
I really haven’t been drinking–honest. No to the first question–I’m transplanted in PA. It’s probably pretty obvious that the answer to the second question is a resounding yes! Ma heid’s in a fankle. This too will pass

> More Light than Heat (08:31:25) :
> Water is a big issue here, as in many parts of the West, and it’s going to become one in many other places unless we get a handle on population growth and on global warming.

Actually, it’s soon to become less of a problem. Bush either has deregulated, or is in the process of deregulating, uranium mining within 3 miles of the Grand Canyon. If folks start that up, water demand will go way down as people in Arizona and Southern CA start dying of cancer, caused by the mines irradiating the Colorado River.

And lest folks in the well watered East shake their heads at the west’s silly little carcinogenic shenanigans — y’all might want to check if your local Supa-markets are stocking Arizona- or Southern CA-grown out-of-season produce.

Wish I was joking, but alas, Babylon, I’m not.

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jwa-Cheney Hussein Palin(08:47:23) :

Back on Teddy Boy – I’d be amazed if he stepped down. An egomaniac like him always thinks he’s right. His first words after the conviction were that it didn’t count, would be overturned on appeal, etc, etc. The reason they do illegal stuff in the first place (other than greed) is that they don’t think they’ll get caught or they simply think they have the right to do it (law doesn’t apply to them).

I’m guessing he’ll hold out to the bitter end, not believing that after 40 years his actions will finally catch up to him.

She makes me ill. She can’t have an ethical bone in her body – but now she’s on record saying that taking per diems is okay and taking your kids to places with you when you’re working is too. And she’s going to keep on doing it… Hmmm… shouldn’t the IRS be looking into that…

And what was Todd doing perched on a chair in the hall like a bookend (white socks and jeans, ewwww – sorry, but that’s just ewwwww).

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0whole1(08:48:55) :

> Shikago aka Chief Shikago (08:39:48) :
> Forty Watt good catch. THIS IS A REAL VIRUS. ALL should read up on it at snopes…

Read the very end of the snopes alert — the virus is real, but it doesn’t burn hard drives.

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Forty Watt(08:53:02) :

Half my family is Colombian. Pesada is a word I hear around here from time to time–from the context I hear it as nuisance.

So now we have an eedjit bisom messuganah pesada Siganes. It’s great being multilingual, isn’t it?

At least the “thinking” Republicans understand the real reasons they lost. If they can come to their senses and deal with the corruption, the cronyism, and the extremeism in their midst, we’ll all be better off.

@ ira2
Funny you should mention Californians moving in…. I live in the high desert part of CA, and you should hear the long-timers gripe about how people are moving in here from “down below” (the local name for the Los Angeles basin) and ruin things! I suppose that’s true for any area that sees significant growth. It always strikes me as ironic that so many people who move to a new area to get away from things or because they like the area’s unique features immediately try to make their new location more like the one they just left!

Water is a big issue here, as in many parts of the West, and it’s going to become one in many other places unless we get a handle on population growth and on global warming.

Oh… California. I remember the people in the hills outside of Santa Cruz (Bonny Doon? Some funny name like that) talking about the city folk moving in, too. Same deal, long-established locals not liking their way of life upset by fancy newcomers from the cities.

As for the newcomers changing things to how it was where they come from, yes… dey do dat. When I lived in Phoenix, I heard a lot of people complain about how it used to be so healthy there until the expats from elsewhere imported plants from “home” for their yards so it’d be more “homey”. They moved to Phoenix to get rid of their allergies and then promptly brought in the stuff that gives them allergies. I can’t explain it right, but more than one doctor commented on the folly of that.

Talk about population growth, Phoenix is a great example for that too. I only went down there every other year or so, and every time I went, there was another HUGE subdivision and golf course added on to it. When you see sprinklers spraying water on huge expanses of green grass in the middle of the day in the middle of the desert, it’s simply sickening (unless you think that green grass should be part of living in the desert, of course).
As for air… coming down the last mountain and approaching the city is enough to gag a cockroach. You see very clearly that you’re about to drive into a huge bowlful of brown muck, there’s no way around it if you have to go to the airport or whatever, and it gives you a distinct feeling of choking. Blech. Not to mention, that city works on global warming all by itself – the output from the a/c’s is horrendous!

Oy. Way off topic. Sorry. Sore topic, this.

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0whole1(08:55:01) :

> A Brit Abroad (08:48:54) :
> She makes me ill. She can’t have an ethical bone in her body – but now she’s on record saying that taking per diems is okay and taking your kids to places with you when you’re working is too.

That’s pretty much it — Jon Stewart nailed it when he called the Palins a family of grifters. They’re out to skim as much as possible. The only limits on their greed is their fingecaseland small-time-crook bungling — they’re the Steve Martin to any respectable swindler’s Michael Caine from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095031/).

Or, to put it another way and extend the comparison, Our Sarah needs to start putting the corks back on the forks.

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Uncle Joe Mccarthy(08:58:00) :

akm….we already have term limits…its called the vote…

if alaskans want inouye till he dies, that is their right

i wish everyone would take a look at a state like california, which has term limits, and how that has destroyed our state house….we used to have a working state house. now the state house is filled with idealogues and do nothings…and we are bankrupt

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Shikago aka Chief Shikago(09:00:41) :

0whole1 (08:48:55) :
Thanks, doing other work, same time. I have a fairly strong defense here, so I don’t think it would get into my system.

@ owhole1
Ah, but cancers from radiation exposure generally take a long time to develop. And I expect that the consequences of global warming will catch up to us much sooner. SoCal gets some water from the Colorado, but also from Northern Ca via the CA aqueduct. I’m afraid your “hopes” of a massive die-off are too optimistic.

However, you do bring up an interesting fact — if we’re to increase the use of nuclear power, we’ll need to get the fuel somewhere. If we make the commitment for additional nuke plants, re-processing may be a better solution than renewed mining. And re-processing would lessen the need for a permanent storage solution (i.e., Yucca Mountain). We have decades of spent fuel from power stations and the nuclear-powered naval vessels that is waiting either re-processing or permanent storage somewhere.

France has done some work with re-processing their spent fuel. I think the percentage that’s actually being re-used is still small (perhaps Jamie can comment). We gave up on that technology because of proliferation concerns, but perhaps we should re-examine it.

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Shikago aka Chief Shikago(09:04:08) :

Damn, sharing this room with a huge narly queen hornet or somethin, looking for a winter hide out, it’s she or me, one of us has to go. It won’t be me. Off to battle…charge!!!

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the problem child ( a jerk, also)(09:05:52) :

Forty Watt (08:53:02) :

So now we have an eedjit bisom messuganah pesada Siganes. It’s great being multilingual, isn’t it?
—–
Add “sotte” to the mix, if you don’t mind.

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j faith l(09:06:19) :

lacy lady….

Don’t insult the gypsies…. by the way Hungarians use almost the same word.

Jamie… keep working on it, there must be an even better Yiddish word for her.

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megacephalus(09:07:26) :

@ Whabs, Seattle, WA. (06:09:08) :

the Brits are expecting that too. But then they have long since capitulated to Islam and now made Sharia an official part of the UK FAMILY law, of all things! And considering Muslims systematic oppression of women and women’s’ rights [check out .Guardian.co.UK]

[With a BIG push from the – Anglican – Archbishop of Canterbury – who is also against the ordination of women!]

BTW it was not Southern Baptists who bombed the London underground or the trains in Spain, and almost got away with it here in Germany [ahem… as they DID in NYC 9-11]

Just thinking… reality vs. ‘P.C.’

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SC Sista M Cluckhead(09:09:24) :

Hey! “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is a GREAT book!

for preschoolers…

(which is where I first came to know of it, working as an Assistant Teacher in a Nashville pre-school program)

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the problem child ( a jerk, also)(09:12:57) :

ira2 (08:54:41) :

It just makes me crazy that people try to have lawns and golf courses in the middle of the desert. It is NOT a god-given right, and it makes so little sense when there are such beautiful naturally occurring desert plants.
I was in Austen a few years ago, and loved seeing that some people had embraced the desert – they had gravel instead of grass and succulents and cacti instead of shrubs and trees. Although, that week it drizzled pretty constantly, it was pretty clear based on what seemed to grow naturally that it was uncommon to have so much rain there.

@ ira2
As is Las Vegas! We pave over the deserts and they become heat sinks. Then we add to the problem with a/c, lawns, golf courses, non-native vegetation, and more. I suppose the best solution is to re-ignite the idea of small families to control population growth writ large. Sustainability is our long-term solution on so many levels.

On a global scale, there are several things that contribute to smaller families — educating women and reducing poverty. That works even in cultures where kids are expected to care for their aged parents and when religious traditions favor large families. I think Obama understands that better than most previous presidents.

There is so much on his plate! And he’s going to need all of us to help him.

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Road Runner(09:23:55) :

GUYS AND GALS!!!

Did you get your invite to buy your “victory” T-shirt? You donote $100 to the DNC to offset their expenses for the countrywide individual campaigns. The shirt is beautiful – a great momento to have.

Obama will render Osama worthless. Too many people are falling in love with Obama and even in the middle east, many, many people including many Muslims are seeing a sign of hope..

Before long, people with hope will see the light and will rat the dog out and his tenure as chief terrorist will come to an end.
——–
I do believe you are right Mr. Marty! Just last week I heard two stories that support your theory. First, villagers in a small Pakistan community (equally suspicious of Pakistani military and Taliban) formed their own posse after a Taliban raid and hunted down and dispatched with the agressors. Second, there was a story on Huffpo about 6000 Muslim clerics from India’s leading seminary issuing a fatwa against terrorists. It’s beginning… and you are right. Obama’s presidency will foster an environment for more of the same. Love it!

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megacephalus(09:29:33) :

@ Jamie, Floridian in France (06:57:07) :

The most beautiful dialect – no to mention expressive – of German is Yiddish. there are some good dictionaries on line. Or here in print – but only Yiddish/German.

As to virus(es) we have a rule: open NOTHING where you do not PERSONALLY know the source! Even with all MAC firewalls I recently got a Pop-up host infection by taking a ‘joke’ from an otherwise trustworthy colleague… but then again she works in a Bill Gates Microsoftee world.

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Road Runner(09:29:58) :

OMG!! There this woman, Carrie Lucas, from the Independent Womens’ Group, a repug group, on Thom Hartmann that is hurting my ears. I think somebody gave her the script and admonished her to make sure she says all these words. She picks up at the same spot when the host has something to say. she ssounds so out-of-breath. Sheeesh!!

> deborah (08:10:32) :
> Just in from Minnesota Public Radio: Al Franken is now just 204 votes (down from 221) behind norm coleman as ballots continue to be counted in the MN senate race (and the recount hasn’t started yet).

Check out fivethirtyeight’s math on estimating the results of a Minnesota recount. Interesting from a math perspective at least, and — to me — reassuring that, as Franken decreases the Coleman lead pre-recount, his chances at winning keep climbing. I believe, given certain assumptions about the electorate and optical scanner-rejected ballots, that his chances at winning a recount were at 45% or so, before your public radio news.

I could be wrong, but I think that’s what Nate Silver wrote.
———
thanks owhole1. yes, i saw the five thirty eight article. (i heart nate silver)… i’ve been glued to every development in this count (and recount) story. there’s a lot a stake. we so, so, so want norm to go away.

If we can get more of the World’s people to say this and truly believe it, then these distasteful idjits like Bin Laden and his minions will lose.

If we can demonstrate that Hope works, then perhaps others will follow our lead to their own promise.

If we can prove that unity is possible, then perhaps the world will begin to be seen through the eyes of one instead of many.

Yes We Can.

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Forty Watt(09:39:33) :

@ megacephalus (09:07:26) :

the Brits…. have long since capitulated to Islam and now made Sharia an official part of the UK FAMILY law, of all things! And considering Muslims systematic oppression of women and women’s’ rights [check out .Guardian.co.UK]

********************

This is the problem with laws–they often leave an opening for unexpected results. My understanding is that the Muslim tribunals took advantage of the Arbitration Act under which they can be classified as arbitration tribunals. This means their rulings are binding in law, provided that both parties in the dispute agree to give it the power to rule on their case.

As you point out, the chances of any woman who is party to a dispute having truly agreed to anything is highly questionable,

Jewish Beth Din courts were operating under the same provision in the law when I lived in Scotland and still are, which, I imagine makes the situation with the Muslim Tribunals even stickier to undo now the deed has been done.

I agree with you, megacephalus. It’s very concerning. At least a judgment cannot be handed down that would violate English or Scottish criminal law. This however is small comfort.

H aha haahahaaaa… my 11-year-old just came in, leaned heavily on my shoulder and said “Mum, haven’t they closed down that blog yet? He’s won now…”
——–
That’s so cute, A Brit Abroad. I think my hubby was expecting diminished ‘puter time after the election too. No such luck!🙂

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Jamie, Floridian in France(09:56:22) :

DeMo :
Re: Yiddish word for Palin.

Chaleria – Yiddish term for a shrew or evil and obnoxious woman. The Yiddish equivalent of bitch. The term likely has its origin from “cholera.”
Back to the Stevens family. Putzes, all of them. They wanted to be big machers. Nu, look where it got them.

Forty Watt :
So now we have an eedjit bisom messuganah pesada Siganes. It’s great being multilingual, isn’t it?

You guys are fab! I think you have come up with great ones! I was looking for the yiddish word for bitch, and Chaleria I can’t find in my copy of The Joys of Yiddish. The French word for gypsies is also tziganes. Not bad for the Palin family, though a bit derogatory. And yah! DeMo you can add McPutz – the word that always popped right into my head – to your list.

Sorry, I popped off to watch a weird Spanish movie with JP called The Orphanage. Scary. Now just off to eat something. It’s 8 pm here and anyway Jamie is always hungry.

An interesting read, as it deals with the many main-stream American church-, -temple and -mosquegoers who shifted to support Obama and the Democrats, voting in the face of specific instructions to do otherwise by their religious leaders.

The American people themselves are opting for the Constitution’s mandated seperation of church and state.

Did any of you happen to see Chris Hedges’ article today on Common Dreams? http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/11/10-6
He’s saying there are 42 MILLION illiterates in the US and another 50 MILLION who can’t read beyond the 4th or 5th grade level! So much work to do in our beloved country. No wonder so many people are so easily distracted from the real issues.

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megacephalus(10:22:17) :

The New Yorker cartoon on “excessive poll-monitoring withdrawal syndrome”:

Dearest husband was understanding before the election – he knew I didn’t have too many fellow Americans to talk to where I live. Now, he is mystified. Wonders if I am secretly planning a move even further north (fat bloody chance!)

However, I do have some counter observations. It’s frequently those who have come from elsewhere because of what has been lost in the lower ’48 that want to care for the values left in Alaska–wild fish, natural habitat, public access to shorelines, etc.

And frequently it’s those who’ve been here the longest that want things to change and be more like down south–more roads, more concrete, more tax base for more government, more hatchery fish.

Sweeping generalizations confuse most discussions. Alaska is a complex place. And some of us welcome the interest of others–when it comes to taking care of habitat, wolves, wild fish, the Arctic Refuge.

Oh…you and Jamie are too funny! Even with my ethnic background, I have no idea what you said, but I know exactly what you meant. That was great fun!

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boba(11:24:32) :

The FBI had to gather enough info to plant the bugs and cameras in the Baronof Hotel that brought down the other legs. So what would be unbelievable about Ben Stevens rolling early in the investigation to save his own skin and giving them that evidence?

However, I do have some counter observations. It’s frequently those who have come from elsewhere because of what has been lost in the lower ‘48 that want to care for the values left in Alaska–wild fish, natural habitat, public access to shorelines, etc.

And frequently it’s those who’ve been here the longest that want things to change and be more like down south–more roads, more concrete, more tax base for more government, more hatchery fish.

Sweeping generalizations confuse most discussions. Alaska is a complex place. And some of us welcome the interest of others–when it comes to taking care of habitat, wolves, wild fish, the Arctic Refuge.

Good point. It seems to work like that on the bigger scale, doesn’t it. I forgot.
Me, I’m still caught up in the “this town needs at least a second street light, and also a stop sign at the turn-off by the post office” level of ‘outside input’.

That is obviously the right decision to not allow Ted Stevens to continue in the senate. The man was convicted of taking money and gifts for influence when the only place he’s supposed to be getting influence from is his constituency. To analogize, you can’t allow Anna Nicole Smith to supervise the estate planning of your rich and elderly relatives. In just the way a gold digger would take advantage of your trust for their own personal gain, so will a convict of questionable morals who holds public office when it comes to their voters. Is it too much to ask that a public servant actually serve the public?

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Curious George(05:09:34) :

I keep shaking my head at the fact that convicted felons can’t *vote* in most states, presumably including Alaska, but apparently they can be elected to the Senate?